Beethoven's 250th Anniversary Tour: Retracing the Maestro's Steps

The city of Vienna is a Baroque masterpiece with hints of imperial grandeur. The musical heritage of Vienna is rich with famous composers, from Mozart to Schubert. Opulent coffee houses are filled with aromas of roasted beans and sweet cakes, while wine taverns fringe the city and offer traditional local delicacies.

You will make your way to the city that Beethoven called home from 1792 until his death in 1827. Upon your arrival at Vienna’s international airport, your private transfer will escort you from customs to the beauty of your luxurious hotel that blends Austrian tradition with contemporary comforts. The remainder of the day will be at your leisure to enjoy the charm of Vienna, from the grandiosity of Schönbrunn Palace’s 1,441 rooms to St. Stephen’s Cathedral’s elegant 15th-century tower that stands over 449 feet tall.

Today, you will have an immersive tour of Beethoven’s Vienna, beginning with his apartment at Mölker Bastei. The apartment stands near the former walls with a high position from which Beethoven could view the city. You will find an homage to the composer as the small rooms display a handful of his works. You will continue to the Haus der Musik to view the special Beethoven exhibition. Your guide will share stories from the composer’s life as the sounds of Moonlight Sonata and Missa Solemnis play in the background within his old room on the third floor.

You will find Kahlenberg Hill outside of central Vienna, where the hillside offered a space for tranquil meditation amongst the aromas of the countryside. You will reach a traditional wine tavern in what is now a Viennese suburb but was once the spa town of Heiligenstadt.  Beethoven visited this town in an attempt to mitigate his deafness. Inside the tavern, you will find aromas of wiener schnitzel and dumplings accompanied by wines from local vintners who share their newest vintages after the harvest. Music will fill the air as you sample organic sausages with friendly locals.

Your private transfer will whisk you into the beauty of the Austrian woodlands at Baden bei Wien in the morning, a spa town where Beethoven sought solace after unrequited love. Your expert guide will lead you through town, where several 17th-18th century buildings remain from when the composer visited between 1807 and 1825. Your guide will share stories of each building, including the Rathausgasse 10 lodge, where Beethoven wrote sections of his Ninth Symphony. The interior has three modest rooms furnished with the composer’s pianos. You will enjoy lunch at a vineyard designed by Cistercian monks in the Middle Ages in a region known for 2,000 years of viticultural history.

The scent of fresh woodlands will fill the air as you follow the Beethoven trail through the Helenental Valley. The easy hike will take you through the forest that once rejuvenated Beethoven. You can visit Mayerling imperial hunting lodge and the 12th-century Heiligenkreuz Abbey or take your time relaxing in the curative waters of sulfur baths that initially attracted Beethoven. The Abbey was established in the 12th century and remains an active monastery where monks shuffle around the medieval cloister.

Musical history will become tangible when you meet your guide to discover Vienna’s inspiring traditions. Your expert guide will take you first to Theater An Der Wien, a grand opera house that once held apartments that proved significant to the composer’s compositions. The original apartment no longer exists, but you will enter the theater to find preserved majesty in its historical significance and spellbinding opulence. You can also sample the exceptional acoustics within the surprisingly intimate atmosphere.

At the Naschmarkt, you will explore Vienna’s largest open-air market. The aromas of cured meats will fade beneath the scents of indulgent cakes and exotic spices. Coffee roasteries will mark the air with roasting beans, and Cafe Drechsler offers a new twist on the traditional Viennese coffeehouse. In the evening, you will stop at Palais Lobkowitz, the home of Beethoven’s patron, Franz Joseph Maximilian, the Prince Lobkowitz, and to whom the composer dedicated his Symphony no. 3, Eroica. The symphony was also performed in what is now Eroica Hall one year before its official premiere. You can enter the 16th-century palace where a private museum displays priced paintings, sophisticated furniture, and original musical scores annotated by Beethoven.

You will make your way once more into the charming Viennese countryside, much as Beethoven did when in need of inspiration. You will reach the town of Mödling on a hillside near the rushing waters of the River Brühl. The town has a variety of houses built between the 15th and 17th centuries, and Beethoven found charm and romance in the hills. You will stop at the former home of master crafter Jakob Tuschek, where the composer rented rooms overlooking the courtyard.  Imagine his life and see his surroundings as your expert guide brings history to life. You will learn of Beethoven’s English grand piano, on which he wrote portions of Missa Solemnis, Symphony no. 9, and Piano Sonata no. 29.

Two Ravens Inn has become private apartments, but your guide will help you to imagine the tavern where a small orchestra played, locals danced, and Beethoven first heard the music of his new home. The surrounding forest possesses decadent and dilapidated buildings that once inspired art, music, and legends. At the Black Tower, you will walk through the 200-year-old amphitheater before discovering a Greek-style temple hidden in the trees near the shadow of the 11th-century Liechtenstein Castle.

The ornate ceiling frescoes of the Academy of Sciences will beckon to you in the morning. Your expert guide will take you to the structure originally constructed in 1755 and decorated with an ornate ceremonial hall. You can explore the Austrian Academy of Sciences to learn about how the research institution housed one of Vienna’s most prestigious concert halls in the early 19th century. In December of 1813, Beethoven filled the hall with music while premiering his Seventh Symphony and the piece, Wellington’s Victory. You will easily imagine the two marches of the mechanical trumpeter that once caused a sensation amongst Viennese music fans.

The remainder of the day will be at your leisure to discover more of Vienna’s vibrant culture, grand heritage, and the mark that Beethoven left on both. You may want to explore the many options for a concert, or for more insight into Vienna’s connection to music, you can dine at a luxurious restaurant hosted inside a 19th-century mansion. Musical paraphernalia, such as drums, old violins, and banjos, decorate the ceilings, while autographed photos and certificates adorn the walls. Plaques on the tables connote the names of famous musicians and artists who have also eaten there.

Before you leave Vienna, you will have time to enjoy the splendid architecture and unique coffeehouse culture of the historic city. You can spend time at Belvedere Palace to view the Baroque designs elevated with intricate statues and a Ceremonial Staircase decorated with a stucco relief and colorful frescoes. The current opera house was built in 1869, over 40 years after Beethoven’s death, but remains part of the city’s essential musical fabric. The main hall can accommodate over 2,211 people in addition to 110 musicians. When you are ready, your private transfer will meet you in the hotel lobby and escort you to Vienna’s international airport for your flight home.